Double Bluff/Cirque Point

..Urticina crassicornis.. Christmas anemone Christmas anemone Christmas anemone

..Metridium sp... White plumed anemone Metridium sp. Metridium sp.

..Hermissenda crassicornis.. Opalescent nudibranch Opalescent nudibranch Opalescent nudibranch

Libby Hayward and Finn Gatewood brought together a team of eight to check out Double Bluff/Cirque Point on a cold and rainy May 29th. Because of the rainfall, they did not get a team photo but take our word for it, it was a good looking (although slightly soggy) group! This west Whidbey beach has a rocky substrate with numerous boulders both large and small and erratics that are blanketed with life so the team saw and documented a real diversity of organisms. Among the day’s highlights were Christmas (Urticina crassicornis) and white plumed (Metridium sp.) anemones, red sea cucumbers (Cucumaria miniata), and three species of sea stars (mottled, purple, and sunflower). The team also spotted flatworms when they tipped up rocks and Libby Hayward identified Chthamalus dalli, a BB sized species commonly known as “the little brown barnacle”. The most popular find of the day seemed to be a flamboyant inch long opalescent nudibranch (Hermissenda crassicornis).

Sunlight Beach

Sunlight Beach team photo 2010 Sunlight Beach team photo 2010

..Abronia latifolia.. Yellow sand verbena Yellow sand verbena Yellow sand verbena

Team at work Team at work

Kristen with moonsnail Kristen with moonsnail

..Euspira lewisii.. Moon snail Moonsnail Moonsnail

Sunlight Beach was one of two beaches monitored on a very rainy Saturday May 29th. Kristen Cooley assembled a team of 5 to check out that very broad sandy stretch. Four bald eagles and three great blue herons were there to greet the team as they arrived for the day. The backshore of this beach has a nice variety of plants including yellow sand verbena, beach pea, sea rocket, and Elymus mollis, the native dunegrass. Further out they identified moonglow anemones (Anthopleura artemisia), Japanese and native eelgrass, sand dollars (Dendraster excentricus), butter clams, and a plainfin midshipman found when a large piece of wood was tipped up. Two live moonsnails were seen along with numerous egg collars and clam shells with the distinctive moonsnail drill holes The moonsnail victims included several non-native purple varnish clams. There was a diverse community of polychaete worms found including species from the Glyceridae, Maldanidae, Oweniidae, Onuphidae, Capitellidae, and Chaetoperidaye families. As the team wrapped up their work and headed back to their cars, half a dozen Canada geese gave them a send off with a fly by.

South Whidbey State Park

South Whidbey State Park Team Photo 2010 South Whidbey State Park Team Photo 2010

..Cancer productus.. Red rock crab Red rock crab Red rock crab

Libby Hayward brought a dedicated team of seven to the beach at South Whidbey State Park to work in the drenching downpour on May 28th. The -2.4 tide level made it well worthwhile to brave the elements that day. Charlie Seablom found a freshly molted red rock crab (Cancer productus). Team members gently touched the new exoskeleton and marveled at its softness. Other highlights for the team included a tiny dime sized green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis) and a northern clingfish. One team member got quite a thrill when a bird landed on his hat!

Coupeville Town Park Beach

..Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis.. Green sea urchin Green sea urchin Green sea urchin

Coupeville Town Park Beach team photo 2010 Coupeville Town Park Beach team photo 2010

..Evasterias troschelii.. Mottled sea star Evasterias troschelii Evasterias troschelii

..Nucella lamellosa.. Frilled dogwinkle Nucella snail tied up by byssal threads Nucella snail tied up by byssal threads

..Fucus spiralis.. Fucus spiralis Fucus spiralis

..Verrucaria.. Black lichen Verrucaria (Lichen) Verrucaria (Lichen)

It was a really soggy day. In spite of conditions that had even ducks seeking shelter, avid Beach Watcher John Purcell showed up to help team captain Mary Jo Adams survey Coupeville Town Park Beach on May 28th. This beach has one huge and several less massive erratics located at different intertidal levels and it was on one of those that John spotted a patch of the purple encrusting sponge Haliclona. He also found green sea urchins, several large thatched barnacles, and two mottled sea stars (Evasterias troschelli). Bay mussels had apparently turned the tables on one predatory Nucella snail; it was seen hanging off a rock, bound up by numerous byssal threads and literally hung out to dry. The survey team also identified Fucus spiralis. The blades of this brown seaweed tend to twist as they dry and tiny tufts of hair can be seen dotting their surface. Verrucaria and other lichens were noted on rocky surfaces in the splash zone. It was a fun and interesting day in spite of the trying conditions.

Cornet Bay

Possible Noctiluca Bloom Possible Noctiluca Bloom

Cornet Bay team photo 2010 Cornet Bay team photo 2010

..Epiactis sp... Brooding anemone Brooding anemone on eelgrass Brooding anemone on eelgrass

..Pododesmus cepio.. Jingle shell Jingle shell Jingle shell

Brittle star ray Brittle star ray

Team Captain Jill Hein brought in a team of five to look at Cornet Bay on May 27th. Two new Beach Watchers from the Class of 2010 took part. In spite of overcast skies and chilly temperatures, they had a good time and saw a nice variety of organisms. In addition to the little Hemigrapsus shorecrabs they found at upper levels, they also documented much larger helmet (Telmessus cheiragonus), Dungeness, and red rock crabs down among the eelgrass. They spotted small brooding anemones (Epiactis sp.) attached directly to the eelgrass and a jingle shell adhered to the inside of an empty cockle shell. The team also noted evidence of brittle stars in an unattached ray that initially had them scratching their heads and wondering if it might be a polychaete. There appeared to be a small Noctiluca (“sea sparkle”) bloom in progress with patches of tomato soup colored water observed.

Freeland Town Park

Quadrat work Quadrat work

Freeland Park Team Photo 2010 Freeland Park Team Photo 2010

Chaco Chaco

Bald eagles Bald eagles

..Mopalia lignosa.. Woody chiton Mopalia lignosa Mopalia lignosa

Profiling the beach Profiling the beach

Michele Johnson brought together a team of eight Beach Watchers and one fluffy little dog named Chaco to monitor Freeland Town Park on May 18th. Team members were delighted to find two mature bald eagles perched on pilings along the pier as they arrived at the site. This beach has a quite a lot of barnacle coated cobble higher up along the profile line, then areas of hard clay and large boulders in the middle intertidal, and soft mud in the lower intertidal zone leading to an interesting mix of organisms. Among the day's finds were flatworms, woody chitons (Mopalia lignosa), barnacle eating nudibranchs (Onchidoris bilamellata), ghost shrimp, hermit crabs, and six species of clams with bivalve sampling digs bringing up many non-native purple varnish clams (Nuttallia obscurata).

..Pagurus hirsutiusculus.. Hairy hermit crab Hermit crab Hermit crab

..Nucella lamellosa.. Frilled dogwinkle Nucella lamellosa Nucella lamellosa

Mussel with drill hole Mussel with drill hole

Frilled dogwinkles (Nucella lamellosa) were abundant and several empty mussel shells had drill marks, evidence that they had become victims of that predatory snail species. It was unusual this year that no moon snails or moon snail egg cases were found. A polychaete nearly a foot long came up when a team member dug into the soft muddy substrate at the -1 foot level. The worm was identified as belonging to the family Nephtyidae and was quite an impressive critter!

Cama Beach State Park

For 2010 the Camano BW gathered data to produce the charts shown at the bottom of this website page. Take a look at what collected data says about our species on our shorelines. Then enjoy the pictures below from this year's monitoring.

Cama Beach intertidal monitoring occurred May 17, 2010
1252;1253;1254
1255;1256

Double Bluff/Wahl Farm

Looking for organisms Looking for organisms

Double Bluff Wahl Farm team 2010 Double Bluff Wahl Farm team 2010

Checking out quadrat Checking out quadrat

..Nereocystis leutkeana.. Bull kelp Bull kelp Bull kelp

..Anthopleura artemisia.. Moonglow anemone Anthopleura artemisia Anthopleura artemisia

..Mazzaella splendens.. Iridescent seaweed Iridescent seaweed Iridescent seaweed

Double Bluff /Wahl Farm is one of the richest and most diverse beaches on Whidbey Island's annual monitoring schedule. Team captain Kathy Fritts gathered a team of seven to conduct its yearly examination on May 17th . With the tide falling to -2.7 feet, the team was rewarded with some fascinating organisms including 5 species of anemones, 5 species of barnacles, and 3 species of sea stars. Quite a variety of kelps and other seaweeds were also documented including bull kelp, iridescent seaweed (Mazzaella splendens), Sargassum muticum (wireweed), and Ralfsia (sea fungus).

..Cucumaria miniata.. Red sea cucumber Cucumaria miniata Cucumaria miniata

..Zirfaea pilsbryi.. Rough piddock Rough piddock Rough piddock

..Hermissenda crassicornis.. Opalescent nudibranch Opalescent nudibranch Opalescent nudibranch

Tanker Tanker

When asked about highlights, team members picked the opalescent nudibranchs, red sea cucumbers, brittle stars, and numerous rough piddocks that were bored into the hard clay substrate. Massive tankers and container ships passed by as the team worked and a young bald eagle watched from the top of a tree snag on a nearby bluff. What a fun day!

Maxwelton Tidepools

..Modiolus modiolus.. Northern horsemussel Northern horsemussel Northern horsemussel

..Mytilus californianus.. California mussel California mussel California mussel

..Cucumaria miniata.. Red sea cucumber Red sea cucumber Red sea cucumber

..Sabellid tubeworms.. Sabellid tubeworm tubes Sabellid tubeworm tubes

Maxwelton Tidepool team photo 2010 Maxwelton Tidepool team photo 2010

Bivalve dig Bivalve dig

Maxwelton team profiling Maxwelton team profiling

Team captain Tillie Scruton assembled a team of six to look at the Maxwelton Tidepools on May 16th . Whoever Tillie put in charge of weather did a great job as it was a beautiful day. This beach has a short stretch of cobble followed by a substrate composed mostly of sand along the profile line. A massive erratic is set in the sand about 200 feet from the start point and it is loaded with life. This year its inhabitants included red sea cucumbers (Cucumaria mineata), sabellid tubeworms, and surprisingly, northern horsemussels (Modiolus modiolus), a species rarely encountered on Whidbey Island. Another unusual find on the big rock was that of a large California mussel. Several kelp crabs (Pugettia productus) had taken refuge along the base of the erratic and it also served as an attachment point for a dozen strands of bull kelp.

Pratt's Bluff

..Metridium sp... White plumed anemone Metridium sp. Metridium sp.

..Phoca vitulina.. Harbor seal Harbor seal Harbor seal

..Castilleja sp... Paintbrush Paintbrush Paintbrush

Team photo Pratt's Bluff 2010 Team photo Pratt's Bluff 2010

Finn Gatewood led a team of nine at Pratt's Bluff on May 16th. After a long hike down the beach under beautiful blue skies the team went to work finding flatworms, barnacle eating nudibranchs with egg masses, and a large white plumed anemone (Metridium sp.). In addition to the intertidal invertebrates, they also spotted three great blue herons, a bald eagle, two harbor seals that had hauled out nearby for an afternoon of sunning, and paintbrush blooming along the bluff.